“An illness is like a journey into a far country.

It sifts all one’s experience and removes it to a point so remote that it appears like a vision.”

– Sholem Asch, Polish-born American Jewish novelist

“I’d feel better if I felt better.”

I had to think about that one for a minute. I had been speaking with an elderly friend who had been suffering from some chronic breathing and heart issues. She had also mentioned that old Art – arthritis – had been visiting all the joints. I had to admire her sense of humour.

Chronic disease and pain conditions often contribute to low self-esteem. Here, chronic is defined as a disorder that persists over time and has been deemed incurable. Unlike acute diseases that offer ho...

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